Bottle cap assembly

ABSTRACT

A bottle cap assembly includes a spout member mounted to a bottle and includes a shank. A passage is defined through the spout member and a seal member is located in an opening in a distal end of the spout member. A cap is movably mounted to the distal end of the shank and has a hole defmed therethrough which has a stepped inner periphery. The seal member is disengageably engaged with the hole. An operation member is movably mounted to the shank and the cap is engaged with the operation member such that when pulling the operation member, the cap is pulled away from the sealing member. The operation member has a volume which is larger than that of the cap.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a bottle cap assembly which includes aoperation member movably mounted to the spout member and connected tothe cap which is moved upward by pulling the operation member to openthe cap assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional water or juice bottle shown in FIG. 1 generally includescap assembly includes a cap 1 which is movably mounted to a spout member2 threadedly mounted to the opening of the bottle. A flange 12 extendsoutward from a top of the cap 1 and a stepped hole 10 is defined throughthe cap 1. A protrusion 13 extends inward from the inner periphery ofthe stepped hole 10 so as to be engaged with an annular ridge 20 andreceived in a groove 21 located beneath the ridge 20 on the spout member2. The protrusion 13 is allowed to move over the annular ridge 20 whenpulling the cap 1 such that a gap is defined between the cap 1 and theseal member 22 on the spout member 1 and water or juice may flow throughthe gap. When the cap 1 is pushed back to its close position, the gap issealed. Nevertheless, the user has to hold the flange 12 which is a veryshort flange and pull the cap 1 upward to enjoy the water or juice inthe bottle. This requires a certain level of muscle force to hold thecap 1 and the flange 12. For some children or seniors, the conventionalcap 1 is difficult to operate.

The present invention intends to provide a cap assembly that includes anoperation member mounted to the spout member and connected to the cap sothat the user conveniently and easily holds the operation member to pullthe cap upward.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a bottle cap assembly that comprises aspout member having a first end connected to a spout of a bottle and ashank is connected to the first end. A passage is defined through thespout member and a seal member is located in an opening in a second endopposite to the first end of the spout member. An annular ridge extendsoutward from an outer periphery of the second end of the shank and agroove is defined in the outer periphery of the second end of the shankand located beneath the annular ridge.

A cap is movably mounted to the second end of the shank and has a holedefined therethrough which has a stepped inner periphery. The sealmember is disengageably engaged with the hole. An operation member has athrough hole defined therethrough and is movably mounted to the shank.The cap is engaged with the operation member such that when pulling theoperation member, the cap is pulled away from the sealing member.

The present invention will become more obvious from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswhich show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment inaccordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view to show a conventional cap assemblymounted on a bottle;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view to show the cap assembly of the presentinvention, the bottle and the coat of the bottle;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view to show the cap assembly of the presentinvention mounted to the bottle in the coat of the bottle, and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view to show that a user pulls the capassembly of the present invention mounted to the bottle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the bottle cap assembly of the presentinvention comprises a spout member 3 having a first end 30 which has athreaded inner periphery 301 that is threadedly connected to a spout 60of a bottle 6. A shank 31 is connected to the first end 30 and a passageis defined through the spout member 3. A seal member 311 is located inan opening 310 in a second end opposite to the first end 30 of the spoutmember 3 so as to form an annular opening between an inner periphery ofthe opening 310 and the seal member 311. An annular ridge 312 extendsoutward from an outer periphery of the second end of the shank 31 and agroove 313 is defined in the outer periphery of the second end of theshank 31 and located beneath the annular ridge 312.

A cap 4 is movably mounted to the second end of the shank 31 and has ahole 40 defined therethrough which has a stepped inner periphery suchthat the seal member 311 is disengageably engaged with the hole 40. Aprotrusion 42 extends from an inner periphery of the cap 4 and isdisengageably engaged with the groove 313 when the cap 4 is in closeposition. The protrusion 42 is able to move over the annular ridge 312when pulling the cap 4 to the open position. A flange 41 extendsradially outward from the cap 4.

An operation member 5 has a through hole 50 defmed therethrough and ismovably mounted to the shank 31 which is engaged with the through hole50. An end of the cap 4 is supported on an annular flange 500 extendingfrom an inner periphery of the through hole 50 such that when pullingthe operation member 5, the cap 4 is pulled away from the sealing member311 to its open position. The operation member 5 has a volume which islarger than that of the cap 4 so that the user can easily hold theoperation member 5.

The bottle 6 is inserted into a coat 70 via an open bottom of the coat70 and the spout 60 of the bottle 6 extends out from the opening 701 ofthe coat 70. A strap 73 is connected to the coat 70. The open bottom ofthe coat 70 can be closed by a bottom cover 71.

The operation member 5 can be decorated to desired shapes that attractthe attentions of the users. The operation member 5 is large enough thatthe users can easily hold it to pull the cap 4 upwardly.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art thatfurther embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

1. A bottle cap assembly comprising: a spout member having a first endwhich is adapted to be connected to a spout of a bottle, a shankconnected to the first end and a passage defmed through the spoutmember, a seal member located in an opening in a second end opposite tothe first end of the spout member, an annular ridge extending outwardfrom an outer periphery of the second end of the shank and a groovedefined in the outer periphery of the second end of the shank andlocated beneath the annular ridge; a cap movably mounted to the secondend of the shank and having a hole defined therethrough which has astepped inner periphery, the seal member being disengageably engagedwith the hole, a protrusion extending from an inner periphery of the capand disengageably engaged with the groove, and an operation memberhaving a through hole defined therethrough and movably mounted to theshank which is engaged with the through hole, the cap being engaged withthe operation member such that when pulling the operation member, thecap is pulled away from the sealing member.
 2. The assembly as claimedin claim 1, wherein the operation member has a volume which is largerthan that of the cap.
 3. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein anend of the cap is supported on an annular flange extending from an innerperiphery of the through hole.
 4. The assembly as claimed in claim 1,wherein the cap is a flange extending radially outward therefrom.